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Ask YC:"Lawyers get paid so well, because you can't get decent answers from Google" - discuss!
2 points by whiten on May 15, 2008 | hide | past | favorite | 7 comments
Earlier I tried to find out what are the implications of your employer changing your job title and description. Google came up with nothing decent, Ask came up slightly better.

Why is specialist search so rubbish? - opportunity here?



Laws and taxes are two areas where everyone is afraid to give any actual advice because of the liability it can cause.


I hear what you are saying. It is starting to happen in the UK as well.

What frustrates me is not advice, but actual facts.

e.g. If my employer wants to change my job title and description, what are the standard rules/laws regarding this sort of change?


Well, it's like when people ask medical questions online or write into newspapers - most of the time the correct answer is 'go and see your doctor'.

Having said that, have you looked at the direct.gov.uk site? It seems about as straightforward as goverment information gets:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/EmploymentC...


Yes - I did. What was your Google query? - assuming you used Google.

The reason I ask, and the reason behind the post, was that it is actually quite difficult for people to ask real questions of a search engine and get decent results. I know, I tried. Yes I hit the Uk Gov site - but to say it is vague is being kind.

....."Well, it's like when people ask medical questions online or write into newspapers - most of the time the correct answer is 'go and see your doctor'."

In the UK going to see the doctor is free....Not so for legal advice.


My point was that it a doctor would probably consider it inappropriate to give specific medical advice on the web without examining the patient. The same probably goes for most legal and financial advice.

I can't remember the exact Google query, probably something like 'employment law job description'.

The 'Where to get help' section of that page gives details of where to get free advice, e.g. Citizens Advice Bureau, trade union. I know lawyers are expensive but depending on the circumstances many people might be better off paying for proper legal advice.

I also think the problem with setting up a site to give legal advice, aside from the liability issue, would be that you'd need to be a good lawyer to do this - and good lawyers make enough money already!



DO NOT go to FreeAdvice.com. It's overrun by trolls who pose as professionals and insult everyone who has a legitimiate question. At one time it may have been useful but now it's worthless and lame.




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